Mark Lawrence - King of Thorns fragments 3

The third instalment of the little tasters of King of Thorns, the second book by Mark Lawrence.

Brother Grumlow

In the long ago, in the gentle days, Brother Grumlow carved wood, worked with saw and chisel. When hard times come carpenters are apt to get nailed to crosses. Grumlow took up the knife and learned to carve men. He looks soft, my brother of the blade, slight in build, light in colour, weak chin, sad eyes, all of him drooping like the moustache that hangs off his lip. Yet he has fast hands and no fear of a sharp edge. Come against him with just a dagger for company and he will cut you a new opinion.

I love this little leaks. 

In other news, I'm off on holiday from tomorrow until 27 February. It's time to recharge my batteries, play some golf and indulge too much in food and drink. 

A Memory of Light Release Date Confirmed!

Whoop whoop! Finally the date has been set for the release date for the final book in one of the most epic stories ever told. A Memory of Light, the conclusion of the Wheel of Time, Twenty years after the first book, will be published on 8 January 2013. It's going to be a long year to wait, but it will be worth it.

From Tor:

"A Memory of Light will release on January 8, 2013, in the final month of the Year of the Dragon.

A Memory of Light is one of the most important titles that Tor will ever publish. Many of the principal players have been involved with the series since its inception, including Publisher Tom Doherty and Editor Harriet McDougal, who worked with Robert Jordan on all of his books, and who is working with Brandon Sanderson, the writer finishing the series from Robert Jordan’s outline and his notes. This is a landmark publication not just for Tor but for millions of fans of the late Robert Jordan, who eagerly await the conclusion to his epic tale. Everyone involved with the project is committed to making this an ending to remember.

Over the next few seasons, Tor will continue to release new Wheel of Time material, including trade paperback editions of the early novels with new art, new graphic novel editions of the The Eye of the World comics, and other material related to A Memory of Light as we get closer to publication date. "

The Darkness the comes Before - R. Scott Bakker

The Blurb: Two thousand years have passed since Mog-Pharau, the No-God, last walked among Men. Two thousand years have passed since the Apocalypse.

In a world wrenched by holy war and devastation, a sorcerer, a concubine, and a warrior find themselves captivated by a mysterious traveller from lands long thought dead, a man who makes weapons of insight and revelation. Unable to distinguish the passion that elevates from the passion that enslaves, they fall ever deeper under his thrall, while what begins as a war of Men against Men threatens to become the first battle of the Second Apocalypse.

With this stunning debut, R. Scott Bakker is destined to become the next great fantasy writer of his generation. Set in a world of unparalleled detail and authenticity, populated by truly unforgettable characters, and framed by a profound understanding of the human condition, The Darkness That Comes Before proves that epic fantasy can be at once majestic, intelligent, and terrifying.

I bought this book based solely on the recommendation on the front cover from Steven Erikson, and I can see why he loves this series. The scope is bloody huge. The characters are varied and truly different. Their names are a pain to remember. So, quite like Malazan book of the fallen in that respect.

The book is set after The First Apocalypse destroyed humanity. I still have no idea what or who the No-God is, and that alone ensures that I'll buy the next book. The tantalizing hints that he drops about the history of the world, of the characters and freaky races makes my imagination bubble.

The only problem with this book was that it felt quite slow and meandering for most of it. When the action happened, it was fast and beautiful, and the slow parts were there for more reasons than pacing. This book has some interesting philosophical ans psychological elements, the magic is done well and reviled by most, which puts sorcerers quite low on the totem pole.

It didn't grab me and make me sit up all night reading. I understand the characters were sculpted well, but I didn't care for them. I also did not hate them. Hopefully it gets better in the next book, The Warrior Prophet. It does not mean I'll read the next book though. It interested me enough to certainly continue with the series.

7/10

 

Epic ConFusion Author D&D trailer

Justin over at Staffers Musings was lucky enough to watch and record the epic Dungeons & Dragons game between some of my favourite authors. He's busy editing it into something special and posted this trailer:


Sorry about the size, I'm crap at reducing it. It seems like this will be my favourite thing I've  watched this year.

Mark Lawrence: King of Thorns Fragments 2

Hello party people. Mark Lawrence, author of the frankly brilliant Prince of Thorns, is busy editing the next book, aptly titled King of Thorns. He thought it good to release the cut bits to the public, which is nice of him. These parts were meant to be fillers between the chapters, to show us some of humanity in his world. From his blog:

"Sorren Hammerson, seventeen, arrow shot. Tellan slopes, below the Haunt.

Son of William and Sereh, raised in Northdean, Renar.

The arrow pinned him to the moment, and Sorren fell, knowing that for all his life he and the arrow had been racing toward each other.

He fell. His head bounced once and his helm clattered away. A last breath left in a crimson spray of surprise. Sound faded, bowstrings thrummed into silence, the sky bright and wide, filled everything. He had wanted to be a farmer. He had wanted Milly Turner. The sky narrowed to the gleam of her hair. Narrowed again. Gone."

Joe Abercrombie - A Red Country

Joe Abercrombie has released the first taster of his next book, A Red Country on his website. I'm more excited about this than I was when I was a small kid on Christmas morning. Could this be the return of the Bloody Nine?




“Shy South comes home to her farm to find a blackened shell, her brother and sister stolen, and knows she’ll have to go back to bad old ways if she’s ever to see them again.  She sets off in pursuit with only her cowardly old step-father Lamb for company.  But it turns out he’s hiding a bloody past of his own.  None bloodier.  Their journey will take them across the lawless plains, to a frontier town gripped by gold fever, through feuds, duels, and massacres, high into unmapped mountains to a reckoning with ancient enemies, and force them into alliance with Nicomo Cosca, infamous soldier of fortune, a man no one should ever have to trust…”

Current and future reading

Just to keep everything going, I thought it a good idea to keep you informed about what is going on reading wise.I'm cruising through R Scott Bakker's The Darkness that comes Before at the moment.

This is my first  time reading Mr. Bakker's work, and I'm enjoying it thus far. Review to be done when I'm done with the book.

I've put down a book and didn't finish it for the first time ever. The characters were generic, as was the story and worldbuilding. I won't tell you the writer or title and since I didn't finish it I wont review it. It's safe to say I wasted two weeks of my life and I'm pissed about it.

I would like to congratulate Myke Cole on the publishing of his first ever book: Shadow Ops: Control point.

I've been drooling over this book for quite a while. According to his publicist it will be published on the Kindle hopefully during this week. He wasn't too sure whether it will be published in South  Africa, so let's hope the Kindle version shows up sooner rather than later. 

Saladin Ahmed's first novel, Throne of the Crescent Moon is set to be published in less than two weeks. It should also be good, since the murmurs I've been hearing about it has all been very positive. It's also very high on my wishlist.

I must say I really do not like the cover art on either of the two new books. Shadow Ops looks like a video game cover and Throne looks like some weird fan art to me. It's not the best, but hopefully the books make up for that.